Automatic telephone system.



., No. 760,711. PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

J.G.SLATER.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APRLIOATION IIL'EI) MAR. 10. 1902.

in) MODEL. a sums-sum 1 No. 760,71,1. 7 PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

J. 0. SLATER. E AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 1902.

no MODEL. a sums-sum 2.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

J.G.SLATER. AUTOMATIC TELEPHONESYSTVEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

-IUNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

JAMES o. SLATER, OF ST. LoUIs, MISSOURI.

' AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,711,=dated May 24, 1904 Application filed March 10, 1902. Serial No. 97,615- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES C. SLATER, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 3125 North Newstead avenue, St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Automatic Telephone System, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to an automatic telephone system; and its principal object isto improve the system disclosed in Letters-Patent No. 632,759, issued to me September 12,

The system-disclosed the patent isof that type which enablesany-subscriber to connect station common to all of the outlying telephones. '20

In general the-system disclosed in imy patent comprehends a seriesoftelephones connected by suitable wiring to a switchboard. At this'switchbo'ard' are located a series of' selector switches corresponding in number with the number' of subscribersand;

each having a series of contact-points corresponding to the several subscribers telephones. Each selector-switch is arranged for actuation by'a subscriber through the medium of electromechanical switch-operating mechanismwhich moves the selector-switch or} the contact-arm thereof into engagement with any By this mean s a calling sub- I desired contact. I scriber is enabled to operate thecorresponding selector-switch for the purpose of ,con-

call.

controlled by an escapement' device. The-escapement device includes aniescapement-lever operatively connected to and designed to'be operated by the armatureof an electromag; net, This magnet is designed to be successively energized for the purpose of effecting;

successive movements of the escapement le ver, and thereby permit the motor to operate intermittently for the purpose of advancing the switch-arm step by step for successive en :gagement with the contacts of the switch. Thus the arm of the selector-switch may be operated to make contact with anyone ot-the several contact-points, thereby connecting any called subscriber with the subscriber calling. The energizing of the magnet of eaclrselectorswitch is accomplishedby means of a motordriven make-and-break device or circuitbreaker controlling an electric circuit in which the magnet of the switch is located. This circuit-breaker is located at the telephone'corresponding to the selector-switch controlled by it and is provided with an indicator-arm arranged for movement around a dial bearing a series of designationscorresponding to the contacts of the selector-switch. The circuitbreaker and the switch-escapement mechanism are so arranged with respect to'the movementof the indicator and switcharms,-respectively, that the movement of said arms will be synchronousthat is to-say, as the indicator-arm advances from one number-to another on the dial the magnet-circuit will be closed to energize the magnet, and thereby operate the oscapement mechanism of the selector-switch to permit the switch-arm to movefrom one contact of the switch to the contact next succeeding.

I The movement of the indicator arm at the calling-telephone is limited by a number-pin inserted in the dial at any desired -number,so thata subscriber desiring to call up another subscriber simply inserts his number-pin in the dial at the point bearing a designation corresponding to that of'the called telephone.

He then effects the release of theindicator, and the mechanical motor connected with the makeandbreak device or [circuit breaker will operate the latter, and as the movements of the indicator and switch-arms are synchronous the switch-arm will come tor-est in engagement with that contact of the switch which corresponds with the number at which the indicator-arm of the calling-telephone is arrested, and the calling-telephone will therefore' be automatically connected with the telehonejat whose numberon the dial the numbeipih has been i'nserted.

.. L,The object of my present invention is to "provide for secrecy in the use of the system bycausing an alarm to be sounded'whenever a subscriber hangs up his receiver without certain others subordinate thereto, the invention comprehends in its preferred embodiment that construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

.In said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, with parts broken away, of the circuit-breaker, indicator, and certain of the parts associated therewith. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the circuit-breaker. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relation of the circuit-breaking devices to the several selector-switches. Fig. 4 is an elevation, with parts broken away, of the selector-switch-operating mechanism, including the improved escapement device therefor. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the selector-switch. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail views of the escapement mechanism detached. Fig. 9 is an elevation of so much of a telephone as is necessary to illustrate the construction and arrangementof the alarm or attention mechanism, and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view showing somewhat more in detail the construction and arrangement of the contact device for the alarm or attention ers telephones,and 4:, 5, and 6 indicate circuit-breaking devices located at the telephones and each wired to an electromagnet 7, located at a selector-switch correspondingto the telephone at which the circuit-breaker is located. (See Fig. 3.) The circuit-breaker located at the telephone is mounted in a suitable frame 8, to which is connected one ter minal, 9, of the magnet-circuit, the other terminal, 10, of said circuit being electrically connected (see Fig. l)'to a spring contact-arm 11, secured to the frame 8 through the instrumentality of an insulating-strip 12. The upper end of the contact-arm 11 is bentor deflected laterally to present it in the path of one or more contact-pins 13, extending horizontally from one side face of a disk 1 1, the

spring 11 being normally out of contact with the pins 13, as shown.

The disk 14: is mounted upon a shaft 15, journaled in suitable bearings in the frame8, and is geared, by means of a pinion 16 and gear 17, to a second shaft 18, carrying an indicating-arm 19 and designed to be driven as, for instance, by a spring-motor 20. The indicating arm or pointer 19 is disposed between a pair of disks 21 and 22, suitably supported concentric with the shaft 18 by the frame and spaced apart by insulating-p0sts- 23, which serve to prevent electrical connection between the disks except under c0nditions to be mentioned. The front disk 21 constitutes a dial and bears a circular series of numbers 24, corresponding to the numbers of the several telephones in the system and perhaps including additional numbers to accommodate the addition of other telephones. Opposite these numbers the disk or dial 21 is provided with a series of pin-holes or sockets 25, located directly opposite similar pin-holes 26 in the rear disk 22. These pin-holes are designed for the reception of a number-pin 27, inserted in the dial at any number desired to be called. This number-pin 27 performs a dual function. It establishes electrical contact between the two disks for a purpose to be explained and also limits the movementof the indicating arm or pointer 19 when said arm shall have been released by the partial withdrawal of an insulated stop-pin 28, located at the zero-point of the dial and normally retaining the arm 19 against the power of the motor 20, which tends constantly to move the arm in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1.

The contact-pins 13 upon the disk 14 of the circuit-breaker are so disposed and the gearing between the shafts 15 and '18 is so arrangedthat one of said pins willcontact with the spring 11 to make and break the magnetcircuit once during the movement of the arm 19 from each number on the dial to the number next succeeding. Thus if the numberpin is placed, for instance, in the third pinhole and the stop-pin 28 is partially withdrawn to release the arm said arm will travel in the direction of the arrow under the impulse of the spring-motor until it is arrested by the number-pin 27. During this movement of the arm the disk 14; will have been rotated to present three of the pins in succession to the contact-arm 11, thus energizing the magnet 7 at the corresponding selectorswitch three timesthat is to say, a number of times corresponding to the number of the telephone to be called.

Each of the selector-switches is provided with a series of contacts 29, corresponding to the subscribers telephones and the numbers on the dials of the several indicating devices. These contacts are properly wired to the several other selector-switches in the manner explained in my patent aforesaid and are arranged for contact with the outer end of the selector-switch arm 30, suitably wired to its telephone. The switch-arm 30 is mounted upon a shaft 31, suitablyjournaled in a frame 32, secured to the board of the selector-switch. Within this frame is also mounted a springmotor 33, geared to the shaft 31, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and tending constantly to move the switch-arm in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5. The shaft or arbor 31 is geared, by means of a gear-wheel 31 and a pinion 35, to the escapemcut-shaft 36.

Upon the escapement-shaft is mounted the contact-spring 11.-

proper cooperationof the parts.

escapement-wheel 37 of the escapement mechanism. The escapement-wheel, like the con,- tact-wheel 14, is provided with laterally-extending pins 38, corresponding in number to the pins 13 of the contact-wheel and arranged to cooperate with an escapement-lever 39, provided at its end opposite the wheel 37 with an armature 40 for the adjacent electromagnet 7, which, as heretofore explained, is energized to attract, the armature 40 and swing the escapement-lever whenever one of the contactpins 13 makes electrical connection with the The escapement-lever is disposed in a substantially horizontal position with its fulcrum 4L1 in line with the upper pallet 42, detachably secured to the extremity of the lever, andis arranged to be retracted by a spring 42, the tension of which is adjusted by a thumb-screw 42", suitably mounted, as shown. The lower pallet 43 is detachably secured to the lower extremity of an arcute arm 44:, pendent from the end of the escapement-lever and having a curvature sufiiciently great to permit nearly one-half of the periphery of the escapement-wheel to extend within the curvature and between the pallets without interfering with such movement of the wheel as is necessary for the Normally the escapement lever and wheel are disposed as illustrated in Fig. 6, wherein the lever is shown as resting upon the periphery of the wheel with the upper pallet arranged to obstruct one of the escapement-pins 88,'while the .lower pallet 43 is depressed, so as not to obstruct the pins until the escapement-lever has been oscillated to withdraw the upper pallet and to present the lower pallet in position to stop the pin next advancing. The general operation of this form of escapement device comprehending the wheel and a lever provided with opposed pallets is well understood and need not be explainedin detail.

Having now described the construction and relative arrangement of the indicating apparatus located at the telephone and the selec- 'torswitch, 1 will now proceed to the considerationof the means located at the telephone to cause the automatic sounding of an alarm whenever a subscriber hangs up his receiver without removing his number-pin from the "dial.

It will of course beunderstood that as long as the number-pin 27 is in its socket in the dial the indicator-arm 19 instead of continuing around to the zero-point will remain at and called telephones will therefore remain in connection.- If this is permitted to continue after. the parties have ceased talking, obviousl y either of the connected parties can overhear the conversation of the other when. such party calls up a third telephone. This is of course objectionable, and l have therefore devised means whereby. whena subscriber hangs up his receiver withoutremoving the number-pm an alarm will be-sounded. The'sounding of this alarm calls the attention of the subscriber to his omission to remove the number- 1 pin.

The safety, attention, or secrecy alarmfindicated by the numeral lt) may be of anydesired ch aracter-as, for instance, a bell, buzzer, orthe like. It is located, preferably, upon the casing a ofthe telephone and is included in an alarm-circuit 47, two terminals 48 and 49 of which are connected, respectively, to

the disks 21 'andi22, electrical connection beinsulated therefrom,.as shown in Figs. 9 and The contact-spring 51 is 10 of the drawings. twisted at 54, so that it may yield or swing in two directions, andthe contact-hook 52 is provided with a lateral] y-bent or hooked extremity 55, a guard-pin 56 being provided to prevent the contact-spring 51 from swinging into'contact with the body portion of the hook 52. When the receiver 57 is removed from the receiver-hook 58, the latter is swung upwardly by its spring. 58 to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. :9. The contact-hook 52 will therefore be swung back far enough topre:

tacting with the spring 51 notwithstanding 'the slight deflection of the latter fromthe ver- -tical,,as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. '1f,

however, the subscriber after having finished his conversationshould leave the number-pin 27 in its socket and should hang up his receiver, the consequent depression of the receiver-hook under the weight of thereceiver will draw the contact-hook 52 into engagement with the contact=spring 51, and as the terminals 4:8 and 49 are closed throughpthe disks 21 and 22 and the pin 27 the alarm-circuit will be closed and the attention-alarmwill be sounded and will continue to sound until the number-pin is removed from" its socket.

When the removal of the pin has been effected,

the alarm will cease, sounding; but itwill be vent the bent end 55 of the hook 52 from conobserved that unless some provision is made for breaking the contact between the hook 52 and the spring .51 the alarm will again sound when the subscriber subsequently inserts the number-pin preparatory to calling up another of theoutlying telephones. The'sounding of the alarm at such time would beunnecessary and objectionable, and, it is for this reason that l have provided a contact-spring which may be deflected in two directions- This will 1 be better understood by reference to Fig. 9, wherein the door I) of the casing a is shown as provided upon its inside with a releasingplate 59 in the form of a broad flat spring secured at one end and arranged when the door is closed to be presented to the lower end of the spring 51 at a point below the hook 52.

Opposite this releasing-plate 59 the door 6 is provided with an aperture of sufiicient size to receive the end of the number-pin 27. This aperture constitutes a socket in which the pin is normally kept. When the pin is withdrawn from the dial and is slipped into its socket in the door, its inner end will contact with the releasing-plate 59 and will bend back the latter and cause it to swing the spring 51 free of the bent end of the hook 52 and to assume the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 9. In this position of the parts the contact between the spring 51 and the hook 552 will be broken, and therefore the alarm will not be sounded when the number-pin is again inserted in the dial preparatory to calling up a subscriber. When, however, the receiver is removed from the receiver-hook 53, the bent end 55 of the contact-hook 52 will strike the spring 51, deflecting it laterally to permit the end of the hook to pass behind the spring, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, so that upon the depression of the receiver-hook while the number-pin is in the dial the alarm will be sounded in the manner described.

It will be observed from the foregoing that I have improved the telephone system described in my patent heretofore identified by the addition of an automatic alarm for reducing to a minimum the liability of anysubscriber accidentally or surreptitiously overhearing the conversation of two other subscribers; but while I have illustrated and described what is perhaps the preferred form-of this novel feature I do not wish to limit myself to the structural details defined, as,- on the contrary, I reserve the right to eficct such changes, modifications, and variations of my present disclosure as may be suggested by experience and experiment and embraced within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is 1. In an automatic telephone system, the combination with a telephone including a receiver-support, of an alarm-circuit, an alarm therein, acircuit-closer disposed for operation by the receiver-support, and a-second circuitcloser constituting an element of mechanism for maintaining the connection between two telephones.

2. In an automatic telephone system, the combination with a telephone comprising a receiver-support, of an alarm-circuit, an alarm therein, a circuit-closer disposed for operation by the receiver-support, and a second circuitcloser serving when in position to close the alarm-circuit and to perform the additional function of maintaining the telephone in electrical connection with a second telephone at a remote point.

3. In an automatic telephone system, the combination with a telephone comprising a receiver-support, of an alarm-circuit, an alarm therein, a circuit-closer disposed for operation by the receiver-support, a selector-switch i11- cluding a switch-arm, mechanism located at the telephone for determining the position of the switch-arm, said mechanism including a movable member which constitutes a second circuit-closer for the alarm-circuit.

4. In an automatic telephone system, the combination with telephones including receiver-supports, of a selector-switch, indicating mechanism located at a telephone and operatively related to the selector-switch, a member constituting apart of the indicatingmechanism and arranged to be positioned in one of several positions to determine the extent of operation of the indicating mechanism and to thereby determine the position of the selectorswitch and the telephone to be connected, an alarm-circuit including said member, an alarm in the circuit, and a circuit-closing device also located in the alarm-circuit and disposed for operation by the receiver-support.

5. In an automatic telephone system, the combination with the telephones, of a selectorswitch controlling their electrical connection, indicating mechanism for effecting the operation of the selector switch, said indicating mechanism comprising a movable indicatingarm and a number-pin for stopping the indicating-arm at any desired point, and an alarmcircuit including the number-pin and an alarm.

6. In an automatic telephone system, the combination with the telephones, and a selector-switch for controlling their electrical connection, ofindicatingmechanism including an apertured dial, a movable indicating-arm and a number-pin designed to be inserted in the dial to limit the movement of the indicating-arm, means for effecting the movement of the selector-switch as the indicating-arm is moved, and an alarm circuit including an alarm and also including the number-pin when the latter is inserted in the dial.

7. In an automatic telephone system, the combination with the telephones including receiver-supports, and a selector switch controlling the electrical connection oi the telephones, of indicating mechanism controlling the selector-switch and including a movable indicating-arm and a number-pin for limiting the movement of said arm, an alarm-circuit including an alarm and also including the number-pin, and a circuit-closing device for said alarm-circuit disposed for operation by a receiver-support.

8. In an automatic telephone system, the combination with the telephones having receiver-supports, of a selector-switch controlling the electrical connection of the telephones, indicating mcchanism controlling the selector-switch and including amovable arm, a dial provided with a plurality of apertures and a number-pin designed to be inserted in either of the apertures in the dial to limit the movement of the indicating-arm, an alarma number-pin designed to be insertedin the by the door and disposed to be moved to efdisks to. electrically connect the same and to limit the movement of the ind icating-arm, and an alarm-circuit including an alarm and having its terminals in electrical connection with the disks.

10. In'an automatic telephone system, the combination with thetelephones including receiver-supports, of a selector-switch controlling the electrical connection between the telephones, indicating mechanism controlling the selector-switch and including a pair of insulated disks having coincident openings,a movable indieating-arm and a number-pin designed to be placed in the openings of the disks to limit the movement of the indicating-arm and to electrically connect the disks, an alarm-circuit including an alarm and having its terminals connected to said disks, and a circuit-closing deviceincluded in the alarm-circuit and disposed for operation by a receiver-support.

11. The combination with a telephone, and its receiver-support, of an alarm-circuit, an alarm included therein, a eircuit-elosingdevice located in the alarm-circuit and disposed for actuation by the receiver-support, and means independent of the receiver-support for moving said circuit-closing device to its open position.

12. The combination with a telephone, and its receiver-support, of an alarmcircuit,-an alarm included therein, a cireuit closing device also located in the alarm-circuit and disposed for actuation by the receiver-support, a releasingmember located within the telephone-easing to effect the movement of the circuit-closing device to its open position, and means independent of the receiver-support for operating the releasing member from the exterior of the telephone-easing.

13. The combination with a telephone, its

casing, door, and receiver-support, of an alarm-circuit including an alarm, a circuitclosing device disposed for actuation. by the receiver-sup port, and a releasing-plate carried feet the release of the circuit-closing device. 14:. The combination'with' a telephone, its

casing, and receiver-support, of an alarm-circuit, an alarm therein, a circuit-closing device disposed for actuation by the receiver-support, and a releasing-plate secured to the front of the casing and disposed for engagement with one of the members-of the circuit-closing device, the front of said casing being provided with an opening or socket to permit the insertion of a pinin order to operate the releasing-plate to move the circuit-closing device to its open position.

. 15. The combination with a telephone, its receiver-support, and an alarm-circuit including an alarm, of a circuit-closing device included in the alarm-circuit and comprisinga contact-hook and a contact-spring, one of said elements being disposed for actuation by the receiver-support.

16. The combination with a telephone, its 8 receiver-support, an alarm-circuit, and an alarm included therein, of a circuit-closing device comprising a contact-hook carried by, but insulated from the receiver-support, and an independently-mounted contact-spring disposed normally out of engagement with the contact-hook but arranged to beengaged by the hook through the movement of the receiver-support.

17. The combination with a telephone, its receiver-support, an alarm-circuit, and an alarm included therein, of a circuit-closing de vice including a contact-hook carried by, but insulated from the receiver-support, and a contact-spring disposed to yield in two lateral directions and arranged for engagement by the contact hook, and releasing means for moving said spring out of contact witlrthe hook to open the alarm-circuit.

1-8. In an automatic telephone system, the combination with a pair of disks insulated from each other; of a movable indicating-arm, a number-pin designed to electrically connect the disks and to limit the movement of the indicating-arm, and an alarm-circuit including an alarm and having its terminals in electrical connection with the disks.

19. In an automatic telephone system, :the combination with a pair of apertureddisks insulated from each other; of a movable indicating-arm, a number-pin designed to electrically connect the disks and to limit the movement of the indicating-arm, an alarm circuit including an alarm and having its terminals in electrical connection with the disks, areceiversupport, and a circuit-closing device included in the alarm-circuit and disposed for operation by the said support.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. SLATER.

IIO 

